Story by Ken Duke | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Every so often, it’s fun to do a “grab bag” story — one that pulls several small stories together to tell a larger story.
Now seems a great time to tell a couple of the stories that have come to my attention as I update the NPFL Record Book, look back at the Progressive Angler of the Year race, and look ahead to the 2026 NPFL Championship.
Let’s get started.
AOY for the Ages
The Angler of the Year race was wildly tight. After edging out Drew Cook in 2024, Kyle Welcher appeared to be headed for back-to-back titles. In fact, he led the standings after Stops 3, 4, and 5. The only time Patrick Walters led was after the final day of the final event of the season … and he won AOY by a single point.
If Welcher had managed to weigh in one more ounce of bass at the season finale on Logan Martin — one more ounce! — he would have moved up a spot in the event standings, tied Walters for AOY points, and won the title on the tiebreaker (total weight for the season, where he led Walters by 1 pound, 10 ounces.
That’s how close it was … one ounce.
An Equal Partnership
Speaking of ounces, Scott Suggs of Oklahoma and Andrew Upshaw of Texas travel and room together on the road. They also share information. When that happens, it’s not uncommon for two anglers to perform similarly, but in the case of Suggs and Upshaw, the similarities were remarkable.
Over the course of six regular season tournaments in six different states across a span of seven months, Suggs and Upshaw ended the season in a tie for AOY points with 1237 each. Of course, ties are not uncommon, but ties between roommates are unlikely. And when there’s a tie, we go to tiebreakers to settle things like AOY standings.
The first tiebreaker to settle AOY standings is total weight for the year. In 2025, Suggs weighed in 232 pounds, 3 ounces of bass. Upshaw’s total was one ounce more! Thus, Upshaw finished 37th in AOY and Suggs was 38th. Fortunately for them, they’re both qualified for the 2026 Championship by virtue of being in the top 40, but it was close.
And that’s the most even partnership I’ve ever heard of.
And Then There Were None
I appreciate history, and for a league that’s only been around for five years, the NPFL has a lot of it. One part — an important part — of that history is the group of anglers who have been with the League since the very beginning.
Eleven anglers have fished with the NPFL for all five seasons of its existence: Hunter Baughman, Dan Blackert, Mike Comeau, Richard Cooper, Louis “The Bass Warrior” Fernandes, Brian “Big Daddy” Hatfield, Stu Martel, Matt Massey, Brandon Perkins, Timmy Reams, and Kevin Rogers.
Of those 11, four fished every event through the 2025 regular season: Baughman, Cooper, Fernandes, and Reams.
Baughman and Cooper fell short of qualifying for the 2025 Championship on Lake Hartwell, so their streak of NPFL events ended at Logan Martin.
Fernandes and Reams made it to the 2025 Championship, but neither will be competing in next year’s Championship. They had disappointing seasons in 2025 and neither won the 2025 Championship to snag the final spot in the 2026 event.
When the field launches for the 2026 Championship, Fernandes and Reams will be notable for their absence. It marks the end of an era.
